


More Love

by lovepollution



Category: My Mother and Other Strangers (TV)
Genre: 1940s, Canon Related, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Fluff, Future, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Headcanon, In Character, Kissing, Love, Married Life, One Shot, Pregnancy, References to Canon, Sequel, Sister-Sister Relationship, Slice of Life, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vignette, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 16:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11832957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovepollution/pseuds/lovepollution
Summary: A fluffy, domestic one-shot continuation of More Than Shadows.





	More Love

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was born of random ideas of conversations between characters I had knocking around in my head. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it was fun to write, so hopefully anyone who enjoyed More Than Shadows will like this too. :)

_March 1948_

Pacing the floor in the small kitchen, Rose worried to herself. She had been concerned for more than week now, but today’s news meant the source of her stress had become more than a mere concern. It was time to speak to her husband, whose arrival home she was anxiously awaiting as she brimmed with nervous energy.

“I need to talk to you,” Rose said wringing her hands whilst standing in the hallway as Ron came through the front door.

“What is it?” he asked, worried by the visible concern on his wife’s face. “You're not sick are you? Whatever it is, I’ll make sure you get the best treatment; we can even go to the States if that's what you need…” he rambled on frantically.

“No no, it's nothing like that,” she told him, offering a reassuring smile as she touched his arm to still him. “The thing is…” Rose paused. “I'm...pregnant.”

“What?” Ron said as his eyes widened.

“Well, we haven't exactly been...careful,” she said with a mild sense of embarrassment. “I just thought with my age I wouldn't need to worry...”

“Are you sure? Have you seen a doctor?”

“I went last week and gave a sample, and today he confirmed it,” Rose said. Seeing a look of hurt on her husband’s face, she continued: “I would have told you sooner, but I wasn't sure and I didn't want to worry you until I was certain.”

“It's alright, I understand,” he told her, his features softening. Looking at her, he saw her chewing her bottom lip in worry. “The idea of another baby isn't a worry or bad news you know,” Ron said trying to ease her distress. “Heck, I think I could make a hundred babies with you and still not have it be enough.”

Rose couldn't help the burst of laughter that came from her, although the weight of the practicalities soon again fell on her and she creased her brow. “But we've just got things settled: Matthew is finally out of the baby stage, and the house is finally as we want it…” she sighed. “There's no room for another baby…” she emphasised with her hands as she looked to her husband, whose face was as reassuringly open and optimistic as ever when it came to something that troubled her.

“So we’ll move,” Ron shrugged easily. “This place is already cramped, especially when Emma or Francis come to stay,” he paused looking at Rose’s concerned face. “Come here,” he said opening his arms to embrace her.

Rose melded to the comfortingly familiar contours of his chest, letting out an involuntary hum of contentment as she closed her eyes. His arms wrapped securely around her, Ron placed a kiss to the crown of her head as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

It was true, Rose thought, that the house did get cramped when one or both of her other children came to stay. It was then that a new realisation struck her.

“You know what this means,” she said pulling away slightly to look at his face. “I'm going to be a mother of _five_.” Ron chuckled. “I never saw myself as being a mother of one child, never mind five...”

“You really never thought of having children? You're such a wonderful and natural mother,” he stated warmly, pushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear, an intimate gesture he performed without thought.

“I love all my children, I'd do anything for them,” Rose was eager to add. “But I just never pictured it for myself growing up. I always hoped I'd marry, but I never much thought of children.”

“Did you plan Emma?” Ron asked her realising that surprisingly, it was a topic they'd never discussed before.

“Michael and I married so quickly that we didn't even discuss having a family until after the wedding, although I assumed he'd want children.” She furrowed her brow reaching for memories long since forgotten. “Emma wasn't so much planned for as we did nothing to prevent my pregnancy from happening. Of course, Michael was Catholic but not strict about it,” she informed him. “And after Emma was born, siblings seemed the next logical step.”

“I'm sure Matthew would love a younger sibling close in age,” he offered.

“I think he would,” Rose smiled warmly as she pictured her youngest son meeting his new brother or sister for the first time. “But gosh, five children!” she chuckled.

“I guess I've got to stop getting you pregnant huh, Mrs. Dreyfuss?” he grinned.

“Hmmm, I don't know about that, Captain Dreyfuss,” she flirted leaning in to kiss him.

\---

Children all in bed, the couple sat in comfortable silence in the sitting room, each reading a different book. While Rose did her best to concentrate, her mind began to wander.

“To think, I was so close to donating my maternity dresses to the church jumble sale a few weeks ago,” she mused, garnering her husband's attention. “I don't know what stopped me, maybe I somehow knew I'd need them.”

“Or maybe you kind of hoped you'd need them again,” he suggested, placing his book down before slipping his arm around her. “Deep down, you wanted another baby.”

“Maybe you're right. I don't think I wanted to admit it because it seemed a little unlikely at my age,” Rose sighed in defeat of her true feelings, nestling into Ron’s warmth. “And I already had four children, to want another seemed a little…” Frowning, she scrunched her nose, searching for the right word. “Greedy,” she finally decided.

Ron laughed. “You do have a way with words.”

“Well, I try,” Rose joked with an air of false modesty.

“I love you,” he smiled as they kissed.

“Me too,” she told him, smiling warmly and looking into his eyes after their lips parted.

“Are you still visiting Vera tomorrow?” Ron asked once they had again settled into a contented silence, side-by-side on the settee.

Rose nodded. “She’s is going to tease me something awful when she finds out I'm pregnant,” she grimaced. “Vera is forever making jokes that we’re ‘at it like rabbits’, this will just solidify her theory.”

“She's just making fun, you know she's happy for you really,” Ron said, his fingers stroking an idle soothing rhythm on Rose’s shoulder.

“I know, it's just the jokes can wear a little thin sometimes,” she sighed.

“Just remind her that Charlotte will have a playmate, which in turn will mean we can do plenty of babysitting, that's sure to change her mood,” he told Rose with a smile and a gentle nudge.

“Oh it will; she’s moaned so much about how her social life with Roger has suffered since the baby,” she said pleased. “How do you always know exactly the right thing to say?”

“Well, I guess I'm just perfect like that,” Ron shrugged smirking.

“And modest too!” Rose chuckled placing her smiling lips to his, the result of which was a surprisingly tender kiss.

\---

“Tea?” Vera asked her sister as she came downstairs from putting her daughter down for her afternoon nap.

“Yes please,” Rose told her. “Did Charlotte go down alright?” she enquired about her niece.

“Oh yes, she was out like a light as soon as I put her in her cot,” she smiled. “She's sleeping through the night now too. I think she gets her love of sleep from her father, it's honestly like trying to wake the dead sometimes with Roger.”

Vera carried the tray she'd prepared with tea and biscuits into the sitting room. After placing it down on the coffee table, she poured tea for herself and her sister.

“Matthew was always a light sleeper when he was small, we had so many sleepless nights,” Rose commented.

“You must be so glad that's all over for you now; the sleepless nights, the nappy changes, the breast feeding…” Vera said before sipping her drink.

“Well actually...” Rose tried to speak casually as she played with the corner of her napkin. “I’m pregnant.”

Spluttering, Vera found herself almost choking on her tea. “Gosh,” she said upon composing herself. “You and Dreyfuss really don’t stop do you?” she added with a raised eyebrow.

“Vera, don’t tease,” Rose rolled her eyes.

“I’m just shocked,” Vera stated plainly. “Rose, you’re 42...”

“I am aware of that,” Rose replied with frustration at her sister for stating the obvious, “but apparently, my childbearing years aren’t over just yet.” Vera continued to look at her with incredulity, causing Rose to add defensively: “May I remind you that I'm only 2 years older than you, and you gave birth only 6 months ago. I think I shall remind you of your attitude when you're next asking us to mind Charlotte, especially when we'll have her _and_ this new baby.”

“Alright, alright! I'm sorry,” Vera raised her hands in surrender. Having assessed that her sister appeared satisfied with the apology, she decided to probe further. “How did he take it? Dreyfuss I mean, assuming you've told him,” she said before again taking a sip of her tea.

“He couldn’t have been happier actually,” Rose smiled. “He even went so far as to say he could make ‘a hundred babies’ with me and still want more.”

“You know, I’d find the pair of you sickening if you weren't my sister and I didn’t love you so much,” Vera told her with an affectionate eye roll.

“We will have to move of course,” Rose sighed. “But the house gets cramped anyway when the children come to stay, so it’s probably for the best. Plus it would be nice to chose a home together.”

“How pregnant are you?” Vera asked.

“Less than a month, so it's still early,” she paused deciding whether she should say the next words. “Actually, I think I might even know when it happened.”

“Do I really want to know?” her sister asked in trepidation.

“I’ll spare you the details, just to say that the children were staying with you, so we were able to be a little...freer than usual.”

“Is this where you tell me my future niece or nephew was conceived on the kitchen table?” Vera said dryly.

“No,” Rose blushed furiously. “But...we didn’t make it all the way to the bedroom.”

Looking at each other, the sisters lost their composure and burst into fits of giggles.

“Did you and Michael ever do it outside the bedroom?” Vera ventured.

“Oh heavens no,” Rose laughed. “Michael liked everything very...structured, especially that, so it was in bed and only bed.” Blushing, never having discussed the intimate topic with her sister before, she continued hesitantly. “Of course I’d never been with another man, so I didn’t really know much different...”

“So things with Dreyfuss are...different then?” Vera prodded for more information.

Rose nodded, her cheeks still flushed. “He’s more adventurous I suppose you could say. There are things he does that I never knew...” she trailed off unable to continue due to embarrassment, and placed her hands to her reddened face.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Vera smiled deciding to spare her sister’s blushes by not pressing further. “Every woman deserves to experience that rush; the excitement, the passion...” she sighed getting lost in a reverie.

“You and Roger, are things good there?”

“Oh yes,” Vera replied with confidence. “Things have changed since Charlotte was born, but they're still good; different but good. But oh, when we first met...”

“That good?” Rose asked, her eyes wide.

“When I asked about the kitchen table, that _may_ have been coming from personal experience,” she smirked. “Things with Robert were wonderful too,” she added wistfully. “I've been very lucky.”

Rose smiled. “I'm so glad to see you happy again. I know nothing could ever replace what you lost, but the way you beam around Roger and Charlotte…” she shock her head, unable to find words as tears crowded her eyes.

“Oh come on now Rose,” Vera said in an attempt to lighten the mood, even as she felt herself become tearful. “If you start crying, you'll just set me off, and then where will we be?” Reaching, she took her sister's hand in her own and the pair chuckled, before they both wiped at the dampness that was beginning to form on their cheeks.

“I'm sorry, I'm being silly,” Rose shock her head. “This is how pregnancy always makes me. I remember being pregnant with Kate and bursting into tears when I burnt a cake of all things.”

“You know what this means,” Vera said struck with an idea upon hearing Kate's name. “You're going to be a mother of five! And to think, Dreyfuss isn't even Catholic like Michael was.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Well three of those children are Michael's too; not that he was strict in that sense, we took...precautions,” she said slightly flustered. “But yes, it did dawn on me, and I was slightly horrified at first, but I'm getting used to the idea.”

“Did you want more children? Or was this more of a happy accident?”

“We never really discussed it. I already had four, and I was getting older, so I just assumed that was it I suppose,” she shrugged slightly. “But now it's happened, it’s made me realise I wanted it more than I knew,” Rose continued wistfully. “Of course I'm not looking forward to nappy changes and all the other less than glamorous tasks a baby brings,” she said practically before her tone became more fanciful, “but the thought of another child with Ron is quite wonderful.”

Vera smiled warmly at her sister, before she was struck with a sudden thought. “Oh, I meant to tell you! I got a letter from Emma yesterday, she said Michael is getting married.”

“That's wonderful,” Rose said with complete honesty. “I know Francis, Emma and Kate all speak so fondly of…Megan I think they said her name was?”

“Maggie,” Vera interjected.

“Of course, Maggie,” Rose said shock her head at her forgetfulness. “Did I mention pregnancy gives me the memory of a goldfish too?” she joked self deprecatingly before pausing, her demeanour shifting. “You know, I still feel awful for how I treated Michael, he didn't deserve that,” she spoke with regret.

“I know you do, but things have worked out for the best don't you think?” Vera told her sister hopefully. “You've got Dreyfuss and Matthew, and another on the way, and Michael has Maggie. Who knows, maybe he'll even have more children, she's a few years younger than him, or so Emma told me.”

“I hope so, I just want him so much to be happy, and not just to ease my guilt, but because he deserves it,” Rose said with a sad smile, earning her a reassuring squeeze of the hand from her sister.

During the train ride home from Vera’s, Rose began to feel nauseous. It was so bad that once home, she skipped super altogether and went to lie down, much to Ron’s concern.

“How are you feeling?” Ron asked Rose after coming to check on her later in the evening.

“A little better,” she smiled weakly. “The ginger tea has helped, thank you,” she told him with gratitude for the drink he had fetched her to help ease her sickness.

“You weren't sick like this with Matthew, are you sure everything is alright?” Ron felt stupid having such a question, but also knew her experiences with pregnancy were much greater than his own.

Nodding, Rose placed her tea down. “I was like this with Francis, and again with Kate, although it wasn't as bad. It's just the luck of the draw I suppose,” she sighed. “You would think I'd be used to it by now, but it's still rather unpleasant.”

“I wish there were something else I could do,” he frowned. “I hate seeing you unwell like this.”

“I've just got to ride it out. It usually eases a few months in,” Rose said with resignation. “But until then, you can keep getting me all the ginger tea in China,” she laughed, “and the odd back rub wouldn't go amiss either.”

“That,” Ron said placing his hands on her shoulders and starting to massage, “I can do.”

\---

_August 1948_

“This baby has really been kicking lately,” Rose said leaning back in the chair to soothingly rub her swollen, 6-months pregnant belly.

“You're still not referring to it by gender?” Vera asked rhetorically. “When I was pregnant with Charlotte I was sure she'd be a boy, so I started referring to her as a ‘he’ from about 2-months.”

“And given Charlotte is clearly a girl, this is meant to convince me how?” Rose asked brow raised.

“Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it! Do you want a boy or a girl?”

“I'm just hoping for a healthy baby,” Rose told her, ever the pragmatic older sister.

Vera rolled her eyes. “Gosh Rose, you're always so darn sensible! What about Dreyfuss, does he have a preference?”

“Well…” Rose said tentatively. “We haven't discussed it, but I think he would like a girl,” she paused momentarily before quickly adding: “Not that he doesn't adore Kate, but of course, it's not the same as having his own daughter.”

“He had better hope you keep that perfect girl-boy birthing pattern you have up then,” Vera smirked.

“You know, I’ve never even considered that before,” Rose laughed, “but you're right.”

“I spoke to Emma on the telephone yesterday,” Vera changed the subject after a slight lull in the conversation. “She said Michael's wedding went well at the weekend.”

“Yes,” Rose nodded, placing the cup back into its saucer after sipping her tea. “Kate had a wonderful time. Maggie seems lovely, she gets on so well with the children. I’m so pleased he’s happy.”

“See? I told you things had worked out for the best,” Vera said smugly. “You should listen to your little sister.”

Rose laughed. “Well, maybe I should.”

\---

_September 1948_

“And this is the master bedroom,” the balding estate agent told the expectant couple as he showed them around the spacious four-bedroom semi-detached house.

“Could we have a moment alone?” Ron asked.

“Oh of course,” the man said virtually falling over himself to accommodate. “I’ll just be downstairs if you need me.”

“What do you think?” Ron asked Rose once the estate agent had left the room.

“I think I forgot how overwhelmed some people get when meeting an American former Air Force Captain,” she joked avoiding the question. “I love how you slipped it in there when he asked what you did.”

“You know me, I like to work with what I’ve got,” he shrugged jokingly. “You won’t be laughing when we’re negotiating on prices,” he added with a raised eyebrow.

Shaking her head, Rose grinned. “You’re awful.”

“But really, what do you think?”

“I think…” she paused and shock her head. “It’s...perfect. So much space, and close to the school…” she stopped and frowned. “But, can we afford it?” 

“I've had a look at things and I think we can,” Ron told her with quiet confidence.

Glancing out the bedroom window, Rose admired the garden. “I can just picture the children playing out there,” she smiled as she subconsciously rubbed her growing belly.

“Me too,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. “I think this one likes the idea too,” he remarked joyfully upon feeling the baby kick.

“I think this baby is going to be a professional football player with all the kicking they keep doing,” she jested. “Matthew was so active too, it must be your genes.”

“Strong American Dreyfuss genes,” Ron said with fake machismo, causing Rose to giggle.

“Gosh, did I really marry a macho alpha male?” she joked. “Here I was thinking my husband enjoyed poetry and quiet country walks.” Laughing, he leaned in for a kiss.

“Have you made a decision?” came the voice of the estate agent as he entered the room, interrupting the couple’s embrace.

“Yes,” Ron said as he turned, “we would like to make an offer.”

\---

_November 1948_

“Can I hold her?” Vera cooed over the 6-day old baby, scooping her up before Rose had even given an answer. “Oh Rose, she’s beautiful.”

“I'm not sure you'd say that if she’d kept you up most of the night crying,” Rose said, unable to hide her proud glow despite her sarcasm.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” Vera enquired.

“Yes, we've chosen Alice,” Rose replied happily.

“And Mary for her middle name,” Ron interjected as he entered the room, “after my mother.”

“Well Alice Mary Dreyfuss,” Vera smiled at the wriggling newborn, “I hope you know how lucky you are to have a family that will love you so much.”

“Emma and Francis are coming to visit next weekend,” Rose said.

“How have Matthew and Kate been with her?” Vera asked placing the baby gently back into her Moses basket.

“Kate has been fine, she's used to a new baby in the house after Matthew,” Rose told her sister. “But Matthew has been surprisingly good too.”

“Although I don't think he was too happy about being kept awake by Alice's crying last night,” Ron chuckled. “He asked me this morning how much longer it would last and I didn't have the heart to tell him likely months.”

“It was the most darling thing the first time I introduced him to Alice,” Rose beamed. “He said ‘Hello, I'm your big brother’,” she said feeling herself get slightly tearful at the memory. “I was so full of hormones that I couldn't stop weeping for a good 10 minutes.”

“Gosh,” Vera smiled, “all this talk of siblings is making me broody for another baby.”

“Well, I think I can safely say I'm done,” Rose chuckled. “Five is certainly my limit when it comes to children.”

“Pfft,” Vera mocked. “I know what the pair of you are like, you'll probably be pregnant again before Alice is onto solids.”

“Vera!” Rose blushed furiously at her sister's brazen joking with Ron in the room, even if he appeared rather amused by it.

A few hours later and silence echoed through the house. After Vera had left, Rose prepared a meal which she, Ron and Matthew ate together. It was then time to put Matthew to bed, and Ron gladly read to the boy to send him to sleep. Kate, who had been visiting a friend, returned home a short time later, and bid her mother and stepfather goodnight before she too went to bed.

Rose checked the tiny newborn was sleeping soundly in her Moses basket before she slipped into bed besides her husband. Laying her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes.

“Mmm,” she murmured, “the sound of silence.” Ron’s fingers stroked a soothing rhythm over Rose’s shoulder as some sort of response.

“I still have to pinch myself sometimes,” he finally said, breaking the silence in a hushed tone so as not to wake the baby. “There was a time when I thought I'd never see you again, that you hated me,” he shock his head. “But now, to have all this…”

“I know, I can't quite believe it myself,” Rose smiled looking to his face. “The fact we found each other at all, but then to also have all the odds stacked against us… I'm truly thankful every day.”

Leaning down, his pressed his lips briefly yet firmly to hers before brushing her jaw with his thumb as he cradled her face in his hands. “I love you,” he told her.

“I love you too,” she replied emotionally.

Flicking off the bedside lamp, Ron hunkered down between the sheets and Rose followed his lead. “Goodnight Mrs. Dreyfuss,” he said wrapped his arms around her.

“Goodnight Captain Dreyfuss,” she told him with her eyes closed and a serene smile on her face.


End file.
